The interplay between active matter and its environment is central to understanding emergent behavior in biological and synthetic systems. Here, we show that coupling active nematic flows to small-amplitude deformations of a compliant substrate can fundamentally reorganize the system’s dynamics. Using a model that combines active nematohydrodynamics with substrate mechanics, we find that contractile active nematics—normally disordered on flat geometries—undergo a sharp transition to an ordered state when the environment is deformable. This environmentally induced ordering is robust and enables distinct patterning regimes, with wrinkle morphologies reflecting the nature of the active stresses. Our results reveal a generic mechanism by which mechanical feedback from soft environments can lead to ordering in active systems.

We investigate the steady-state phases of the one-dimensional quantum contact process model. We present the Liouvillian gap in the thermodynamic limit and uncover the metastability of the system. Exploiting the mean-field approximations with a novel self-consistent condition based on the effective field, we avoid the interference of the metastable state. We show the feature of saddle-node bifurcation of the order parameter revealing the discontinuous phase transition of the steady state and extract the transition point for an infinite-size system. We show the monotonic decrease of the steady-state magnetic susceptibility by the linked-cluster expansion, which does not support the divergence of the correlation length at the vicinity of the transition point. The present results may be tested in the quantum simulator of Rydberg atoms.

Ionizing radiation impacts create bursts of quasiparticle density in superconducting qubits. These bursts temporarily degrade qubit coherence, which can be detrimental for quantum error correction. Here, we experimentally resolve quasiparticle bursts in 3D gap-engineered transmon qubits by continuously monitoring qubit transitions. Gap engineering allows us to reduce the burst detection rate by a factor of 5. This reduction falls 4 orders of magnitude short of that expected if the quasiparticles were to quickly thermalize to the cryostat temperature. We associate the limited effect of gap engineering with the slow thermalization of the phonons in our chips after the burst.

High-fidelity logical magic states are a critical resource for fault-tolerant quantum computation, enabling non-Clifford logical operations through state injection. However, benchmarking these states presents significant challenges: one must estimate the infidelity $\epsilon$ with multiplicative precision, while many quantum error-correcting codes only permit Clifford operations to be implemented fault-tolerantly. Consequently, conventional state tomography requires $\sim 1/{\epsilon }^2$ samples, making benchmarking impractical for high-fidelity states. In this Letter, we show that any benchmarking scheme measuring one copy of the magic state per round necessarily requires $\mathrm{\Omega }(1/{\epsilon }^2)$ samples for single-qubit magic states. We then propose two approaches to overcome this limitation: (i) Bell measurements on two copies of the twirled state and (ii) single-copy schemes leveraging twirled multiqubit magic states. Both benchmarking schemes utilize measurements with stabilizer states orthogonal to the ideal magic state and we show that $O(1/\epsilon )$ sample complexity is achieved, which we prove to be optimal. Finally, we demonstrate the robustness of our protocols through numerical simulations under realistic noise models, confirming that their advantage persists even at the moderate error rates currently achievable in state-of-the-art experiments.

Transport phenomena in quantum spin systems have long intrigued physicists due to their potential applications in spintronic devices and spin qubits. Quantum simulations of the spin-spin autocorrelation function (ACF) have been used to probe spin transport, but methods based on the spin-current ACF have yet to be demonstrated due to their high gate cost, despite offering more direct information relevant to transport properties. Here, using a superconducting-qubit-based transmon device, we show that pre-fault-tolerant digital quantum simulation is reliable for studying transport phenomena via spin-current ACF. Overcoming the resource constraints of indirect measurement schemes like the Hadamard test, we showcase a direct measurement scheme using nonunitary operations, particularly midcircuit measurements, to investigate spin transport for the 40-site 1D XXZ Heisenberg model in the near-ballistic, superdiffusive, and diffusive regimes. We observe the power-law behavior consistent with the Kardar–Parisi–Zhang scaling in the superdiffusive regime and vanishing of the Drude weight in the diffusive regime.

The formation of topological defects during continuous second-order phase transitions is well described by the Kibble-Zurek mechanism (KZM). However, when the spontaneously broken symmetry is only approximate, such transitions become smooth crossovers, and the applicability of KZM in these scenarios remains an open question. In this Letter, we address this problem by analyzing both a weakly coupled Ginzburg-Landau model and a strongly coupled holographic setup, each featuring pseudospontaneous breaking of a global U(1) symmetry. In the slow quench regime, we observe a breakdown of the universal power-law scaling predicted by the Kibble-Zurek Mechanism. Specifically, the defect density acquires an exponential correction dependent on the quench rate, following a universal form dictated by the source of explicit symmetry breaking. Although these dynamics extend beyond the scope of the traditional KZM, we demonstrate that a generalized framework, which incorporates the effects of explicit symmetry breaking into the dynamical correlation length, remains valid and accurately captures the nonequilibrium defect formation across the entire range of quench rates.

Precise predictions for Higgs decays are a crucial ingredient of the search for beyond the standard model physics and the standard model effective field theory (SMEFT) is a valuable tool for quantifying deviations from the standard model. We present the complete set of predictions for the two- and three-body Higgs decays at next-to-leading order, considering QCD and electroweak corrections and including all contributions from the dimension-6 SMEFT operators and with an arbitrary flavor structure. Including the next-to-leading-order SMEFT results for Higgs decays greatly increases the sensitivity to beyond the standard model physics of the $e^{+}{e}^{-}\to Zh$ process at FCC-ee, as compared with that obtained using only the total cross section.

The electric dipole moment (EDM) of baryons provides a sensitive probe of $CP$-violating interactions beyond the standard model. Motivated by the recent BESIII measurement on the $\mathrm{\Lambda }$ hyperon EDM [Ablikim et al., arXiv:2506.19180.], we present the first perturbative QCD analysis of the $\mathrm{\Lambda }$ EDM form factor to elucidate its origin in $CP$-violating quark dipole interactions. In particular, we derive a QCD factorization formula that relates the $\mathrm{\Lambda }$ EDM form factor to quark EDMs and chromoelectric dipole moments through convolutions with light-cone distribution amplitudes of $\mathrm{\Lambda }$. These connections allow us to extract constraints on $CP$-violating dipole couplings from current and future hyperon EDM measurements. Our numerical analysis demonstrates that the $\mathrm{\Lambda }$ EDM exhibits unique sensitivity to the strange-quark chromoelectric dipole moment, providing complementary information to that obtained from the neutron EDM.

We report on a high-precision measurement of the $\mathrm{D}(\gamma ,n)p$ photodisintegration reaction at the newly commissioned Shanghai Laser Electron Gamma Source, employing a quasimonochromatic $\gamma$-ray beam from Laser Compton Scattering. The cross sections were determined over $E_{\gamma }=2.327–7.089\mathrm{MeV}$, achieving up to a factor of 2.2 improvement in precision near the neutron separation threshold. Combined with previous data in a global Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis using dibaryon effective field theory, we obtained the unprecedentedly precise $p(n,\gamma )\mathrm{D}$ cross sections and thermonuclear rate, with a precision up to $\approx 4$ times higher than previous evaluations. Implemented in a standard Big Bang nucleosynthesis framework, this new rate decreases uncertainty of the key cosmological parameter of baryon density ${\mathrm{\Omega }}_b{h}^2$ by up to $\approx 16\%$ relative to the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA) result. A residual $\approx 1.2\sigma$ tension between ${\mathrm{\Omega }}_b{h}^2$ constrained from primordial $\mathrm{D}/\mathrm{H}$ observations and cosmic microwave background measurements persists, highlighting the need for improved $dd$ reaction rates and offering potential hints of new physics beyond the standard model of cosmology.

Dissociative electron attachment (DEA) to ${\mathrm{HNC}}_3$ is modeled theoretically using a first-principles approach. In ${\mathrm{HNC}}_3+e^{-}$ collisions, there is a low-energy resonance, which has a repulsive character along the $\mathrm{H}+{\mathrm{NC}}_3$ coordinate and becomes a bound electronic state of the $\mathrm{HN}{\mathrm{C}}_3^{-}$ anion near the equilibrium of ${\mathrm{HNC}}_3$. The anion state dissociates without a potential barrier toward ${\mathrm{C}}_3{\mathrm{N}}^{-}+\mathrm{H}$. The cross section and the rate coefficient of the process are computed. The obtained rate coefficient at low temperatures is $5\times {10}^{-9}{\mathrm{cm}}^3/\mathrm{s}$ at 300 K. Such a value of the DEA rate coefficient makes the DEA process three orders of magnitude more efficient at producing negative molecular ions in interstellar space than radiative electron attachment (REA). It is suggested that negative molecular carbon-chain ions, observed in the interstellar medium, are produced by DEA rather than REA.

Efficient single-photon emitters are desirable for quantum technologies including quantum networks and photonic quantum computers. We investigate the T center, a telecommunications-band emitter in silicon, and find a strong isotope dependence of its excited-state lifetime. In particular, the lifetime of the deuterium T center is over five times longer than the common protium variant. We measure an isotope-dependent shift of the local vibrational carbon-hydrogen stretch mode energy and show through explicit first-principles calculations that the dramatic lifetime difference is consistent with strong suppression of nonradiative decay due to the reduced energy of this mode for deuterium T centers. Our results imply that the deuterium T center approaches unit quantum efficiency, enabling more efficient single-photon sources and quantum memories and improved readout of the T center electron spin.

Transport of relativistic electron beams (REBs) in matter underpins a wide range of plasma, accelerator, radiation source, and material physics. Here we report a previously unexplored superchanneling regime of REB propagation in disordered porous materials composed of randomly structured solid-density thin skeletons and empty pores. Contrary to expected scattering or branching, the REB self-organizes into a dense stable filament while traversing these microstructures. This behavior arises from the interaction between the REB and randomly distributed hundred-kilotesla magnetic fields generated by localized return currents in the solid skeleton, representing a new collective mode of REB interaction with disordered media. Consequently, intense betatron oscillations of the superchanneled electrons yield collimated ultrabright GeV gamma rays with energy conversion efficiencies exceeding 40%. We analytically identify the parameter regime enabling REB superchanneling and derive the scaling laws of gamma-ray emission, validated by three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Although achieving this regime requires tightly focused REBs, it is expected to be feasible in near-future experiments.

Axisymmetric Alfvén eigenmodes have been observed at the plasma edge in deuterium-tritium (D-T) tokamak plasmas externally heated only by neutral beam injection in JET. The modes were detected only in D-T plasmas, not in pure D plasmas, indicating excitation by fusion-born $\alpha$ particles. The presence of the axisymmetric mode suggests that the modes were driven by positive energy gradients in the $\alpha$ particle distribution rather than radial gradients. The modes are driven by counter-current passing $\alpha$ particles with large orbit widths, allowing core-born $\alpha$ particles to interact with modes at the plasma edge. This reveals an excitation mechanism arising from positive energy gradients produced by the minimum energy required to confine particles at the edge, relevant to all burning plasmas.

The Landauer-Büttiker formula, which characterizes current through a finite region connected to leads, is a cornerstone in studying transport phenomena. We extend this formula using the Lindblad-Keldysh formalism to describe particle and energy currents in regions with gain or loss. The derived formula shows that gain or loss plays a notable role in shaping the transport properties. Based on this formula, we find that inversion symmetry breaking in the gain and loss terms or in the system can generate current, along with the anomalous phenomenon where disorder induces current. We also reveal how gain and loss affect thermal and electrical conductances, as well as the impact of bond loss-induced non-Hermitian skin effect on current. This Letter deepens and extends our understanding of transport phenomena in open systems.

In dense neutrino environments, the mean field of flavor coherence can develop instabilities. A necessary condition is that the flavor lepton number changes sign as a function of energy and/or angle. Whether such a crossing is also sufficient has been a longstanding question. We construct an explicit counterexample: a spectral crossing without accompanying flavor instability, with an even number of crossings being key. This failure is physically understood as Cherenkov-like emission of flavor waves. If flipped-lepton-number neutrinos never dominate among those kinematically allowed to decay, the waves cannot grow.

Using $(10.087\pm 0.044)\times {10}^{9}J/\psi$ events collected with the BESIII detector at the $e^{+}{e}^{-}$ BEPCII collider, we present the first amplitude analysis of $J/\psi \to \gamma p\overline{p}$ with the $p\overline{p}$ invariant mass in the ${\eta }_c$ mass region $[2.70,3.05]\mathrm{GeV}/c^2$. The product branching fraction $\mathcal{B}(J/\psi \to \gamma {\eta }_c)\times \mathcal{B}({\eta }_c\to p\overline{p})$ is determined to be $(2.11\pm 0.02_{\mathrm{stat}}\pm 0.07_{\mathrm{syst}})\times {10}^{-5}$ with precision improved by 1 order of magnitude. Combining with the product branching fractions $\mathcal{B}({\eta }_c\to p\overline{p})\times \mathcal{B}({\eta }_c\to \gamma \gamma )$ and $\mathcal{B}(J/\psi \to \gamma {\eta }_c)\times \mathcal{B}({\eta }_c\to \gamma \gamma )$, the branching fractions of $\mathcal{B}(J/\psi \to \gamma {\eta }_c)$ and $\mathcal{B}({\eta }_c\to \gamma \gamma )$ are calculated to be $(2.29\pm 0.01_{\mathrm{stat}}\pm 0.04_{\mathrm{syst}}\pm 0.18_{\mathrm{opbf}})\%$ and $(2.28\pm 0.01_{\mathrm{stat}}\pm 0.04_{\mathrm{syst}}\pm 0.18_{\mathrm{opbf}})\times {10}^{-4}$, respectively, which are consistent with the latest lattice quantum chromodynamics calculations. Here, opbf is the uncertainty from the other product branching fractions used in the calculation.

Controlling selective bond cleavage in polyatomic molecules remains a fundamental challenge in photochemistry, primarily due to nonadiabatic dynamics at conical intersections. By combining time-resolved Coulomb explosion imaging with quantum wave packet simulations, we report a striking reversal in bond selectivity for two structurally similar halomethane cations under strong laser fields, i.e., ${\mathrm{CH}}_3{\mathrm{Cl}}^{+}$ predominantly undergoes C-Cl cleavage, whereas ${\mathrm{CH}}_3{\mathrm{F}}^{+}$ favors C-H fission. We attribute this contrast to the halogen-dependent strength of radial coupling at the conical intersection between the A and B electronic states. The strong coupling in ${\mathrm{CH}}_3{\mathrm{Cl}}^{+}$ diverts the wave packet to the repulsive A state, enhancing C-Cl cleavage and opening an indirect resonant Raman excitation pathway for C-H rupture. In contrast, the weaker coupling in ${\mathrm{CH}}_3{\mathrm{F}}^{+}$ restricts the dynamics primarily to direct Raman excitation, resulting in dominant C-H bond fission. Our findings establish radial coupling strength at conical intersections as a key control parameter for multibond fragmentation and suggest new avenues for laser-driven reaction control through targeted manipulation of nonadiabatic couplings.